Crtitical Analysis of Jane Jacobs – The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Custom Research by Essay Critical Analysis of The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

Abstract

For thousands of years , cities have existed , bringing together large numbers of people in common living conditions , complemented by the infrastructure to support the needs of these people , centers of commerce , and the like . In a modern context , cities are planned and executed with practiced precision , in an attempt to create an ly setting for what has [banner_entry_middle]

become a hectic way of life in light of the complexities of modern life . Jane Jacobs ‘ book , The Death and Life of American Cities , provides an in-depth analysis and discussion of the major American urban centers , as well as their problems interpersonal dynamics , and other details . In this , several key areas of Jacobs ‘ book will be discussed , and ultimately , a better understanding of the will be gained through the research

Main Points of the Author

Broadly stated , Jacobs ‘ main point in writing The Death and Life of American Cities ‘ was to challenge the conventional wisdom of urban planning . To be more specific , Jacobs , in her book , makes these main points

THE ROLE OF THE ELEMENTS OF A CITY- Jacobs takes each element of a city such as parks , streets , sidewalks , neighborhoods , governmental agencies and economic elements , and discusses them not in dry academic terms , but in a flowing , literary style that informs and entertains at the same time . Overall , her analysis of cities ‘ elements leads to a better understanding of the inner workings of cities as a whole

PROBLEMS WITHIN CITIES- Moving beyond the anatomy of the city , so to speak , Jacobs discusses the various problems that exist within cities themselves . These problems are discussed in a subsequent section of this

THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY- From an interpersonal point of view , Jacobs addresses the issue of diversity within cities why and how it exists as well as components within cities that ironically bring about and complicate diversity simultaneously

Jacobs ‘ View of Problems in the Cities and Modern Response to Them

Relating back to the main points of Jacobs ‘ book , she identified and discussed several main problems in cities , some of which are caused by cities and some which cities try to and have resolved over the years

The central problem in cities , as cited by the author , is in the very design and nature of cities themselves , which lead to other problems Cities are , by their very nature , exceptionally crowded , impersonal , and hectic , and due to these conditions , the walls , fences and buildings within the cities actually inhibit the ability of people to interact build relationships , and ultimately learn how to understand and respect one another (Jacobs , 1992 . In this light , it is fair to say that Jacobs does not believe in the old adage that good fences make good neighbors rather , she feels that cities should have open spaces that encourage human interaction and prevent… [banner_entry_footer]